Monday, March 03, 2014

House Democrats committed to keeping money in Arizona public schools

House Democrats
committed to keeping money in

Arizona public
schools

STATE
CAPITOL, PHOENIX –
Arizona House Democrats are working to stop tax dollars from being syphoned out
of the public school system.

“Extremists
at the Capitol are pushing legislation that could pull millions of dollars out
of our public schools through the use of private school vouchers,” Rep. Eric
Meyer, D-Paradise Valley (District 28), said. “One of the most recent examples
of this is HB 2291, a bill that would increase the number of students who can
use state dollars to attend private schools, which are not subject to state
regulations.”

HB 2291 would
change the requirements to qualify for the Empowerment Scholarship Account
Program, which offers private school vouchers, to include all students and who
are eligible to receive free or reduced lunches and the siblings of current
voucher recipients. This could increase the program by more than 400,000
students.

“This change,
combined with the other voucher program expansions over the years, would make
about 60 percent of public school students eligible for these vouchers,” Meyer
said. “Students using the vouchers receive an average of $5,400 a year. That
money comes directly out of the budgets of our public schools.”

Jeremy
Calles, the Kyrene School District chief financial officer, said redirecting
state funds from public schools jeopardizes the education of students who
remain in public schools.

“The
state continues to use tax dollars and tax credits to make private school more
affordable for the approximately 5 percent of the Arizona student population
that makes the choice to attend those schools, while causing significant damage
to the education of the 95 percent of students who are choosing to attend
public schools,” Calles said.

Meyer added
that supporting public education should be a priority of anyone at the
Legislature who is interested in investing in the economic security of the
state.

“Legislation
that undermines the public school system in our state is incredibly detrimental
to our economic future,” Meyer said. “These vouchers use tax dollars to
subsidize schools that are not subject to state testing standards. We need our
kids in schools that can be held accountable for preparing them for the
workforce. By starving public schools of resources, we are affecting the very
foundation of our economy.”